All posts tagged: psychology

New Year…Still You | Psychology Today

New Year…Still You | Psychology Today

Published by skeptic

“The new start.” Those three words sound good. Really good. They sound relieving. A new year means more possibilities, a chance for a do-over, or a more improved you. It can also be an opportunity to separate yourself from what went wrong last year or what you don’t like about yourself. You resolve to be better, do better, look better, act better, to take on a task or a goal you’ve been putting off. You resolve to be that version of you that has often felt just out of reach. Sadly, for those who struggle with self-esteem and not feeling good enough, a new start is yet one more opportunity for a self-beat-up. Like a Sisyphean task, self-improvement can become a hill that only gets steeper and harder with time. Striving for better necessitates compulsive self-evaluation, which means you will inevitably fall short. It’s like experiencing a beautiful day and obsessing about whether the sun is bright enough or if there are rain clouds on the horizon; eventually, the sun looks muted, and you start …

Want to Read More? The Psychology of Reading Fiction

Want to Read More? The Psychology of Reading Fiction

Published by skeptic

Consistent with the inevitable mass generation of New Year’s Resolutions this month, one oft-cited pledge has been on my mind as of late: reading more. But, who has time to do it? Since entering college more than 20 years ago, the most I ever read in any one year was probably six novels—and that’s when I was taking English Lit. Though I always enjoyed reading for the sake of it and the sense of accomplishment that came with completing a book in earnest, the notion of tallies never bothered me too much. As the years went by though, with work- and family-related activities taking centre stage in my focus, six seemed like a lot, almost unachievable anymore. I recall a conversation with a bibliophile, a while back, who advised that her goal for that particular year was to hit 52, implying a one-per-week quota—an impressive feat. Where some people with children may scoff at the notion that such a thing could be possible for them, I ask them to consider the following: Were you already …

Psychology Reveals 8 Odd Behaviors Often Linked To Hidden Depression

Psychology Reveals 8 Odd Behaviors Often Linked To Hidden Depression

Published by skeptic

When you have a cold or flu, the symptoms are obvious: Coughing, sneezing, congestion, and a general hatred of the universe. Symptoms and signs of hidden depression, on the other hand, aren’t as clear as rom-coms and made-for-TV movies make them out to be. Intense sadness and hopelessness are only some of the behaviors — not only can depressive symptoms range from mild to severe, but they can also disguise themselves as everyday habits and emotions you wouldn’t necessarily equate with being depressed. Here are odd behaviors often linked to hidden depression: 1. You keep yourself excessively busy Yuri A / Shutterstock Sure, we all have hectic schedules, but someone with depression might use being perma-busy as a way to steer clear of their feelings. One study found that workaholism frequently co-occurs with psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. “Keeping busy might be a way for them to ignore or avoid the painful issues that may be contributing to or triggering their depression,” says SooMi Lee-Samuel, M.D., medical director at Timberline Knolls, a residential treatment center …

Not Ready To Start A New Year? Try The Roman Approach

Not Ready To Start A New Year? Try The Roman Approach

Published by Sam

I know that on the 1st of January, we’re supposed to start anew. New year, new you. All of that. The thing is, it’s still dark, it’s still cold and now we don’t even have festivities to tide us through. Where are we supposed to find this new lust for life while we’re still snuggling under thick blankets and layering up before venturing outside? Well, once upon a time, the Romans also rejected starting a new year during winter and to be honest, I think I’m going to follow their lead this year. When the Romans welcomed in a new year According to The Archaeologist, in early Roman calendars, March marked the beginning of the year. On their website, they explained: ”[This is a] choice that aligns with the natural cycle of growth and revival that spring brings. The name “March” itself is derived from the Latin word “Martius,” which pays homage to [the god] Mars. “This god was not only revered as a deity of war but also as a guardian of agriculture, further …

How Do You Live a Happier Life? Notice What Was There All Along

How Do You Live a Happier Life? Notice What Was There All Along

Published by skeptic

As 2024 comes to a close, people look back to assess their life and contemplate what can be done in 2025 to achieve a more fulfilling existence. In doing so, you may notice a conundrum: Why is it that you have some great things in your life—perhaps a fulfilling career, a loving family, a cozy home—but these things seem to only have a limited impact on your daily happiness? At the same time there may be not-so-great things around us—cracks in a relationship, rudeness online, inefficiencies at the workplace—and it seems we often get used to these maladies, so we are less likely to try and change them. In other words, we stop noticing what was always there. Here’s how you can change that. Recognize Habituation Habituation is a fundamental characteristic of our brain—a tendency to respond less and less to things that are constant or frequent. Imagine walking into a coffee shop. At first the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is salient, but after about 20 minutes, you can no longer smell it. Your …

Making Meaning After Trauma | Psychology Today

Making Meaning After Trauma | Psychology Today

Published by skeptic

Many abuse and trauma experts report that finding meaning from your experience is an essential part of the healing process, as it helps you understand how and where to heal. We talk about making meaning out of an abusive and traumatic situation, not to victim-blame or dismiss the experience, but to empower the survivor to heal despite their experience. Finding meaning does not take away from the actions or inactions of others who contributed to your trauma and it is okay to also have negative feelings about what happened to you. Fully healing from childhood trauma requires more than simply acknowledging and understanding the experience. This doesn’t mean we have to find a positive or beneficial meaning in the trauma, nor does it mean we need to believe it was good for us. Rather, it’s about coming to terms with how the trauma has shaped us, recognizing its impact, and understanding what we can do to move forward. Source: Image by Pexels from Pixabay By finding meaning, no matter how small, we take a more …

Christmas comes faster every year? Psychology study sheds light on holiday time distortions

Christmas comes faster every year? Psychology study sheds light on holiday time distortions

Published by José

New research published in PLOS One investigates why annual events like Christmas and Ramadan often feel like they come around more quickly each year. The study, which spanned participants in the United Kingdom and Iraq, found that the perception of time speeding up between such events is widespread and influenced by factors such as enjoyment of the event, memory function, and attention to time. Importantly, the study challenges the common belief that these distortions in time perception are more pronounced with age. The sensation that time speeds up as we age—or that recurring events like Christmas seem to arrive faster—has become a common anecdote in everyday life. However, this feeling isn’t fully understood. Previous research has often linked distortions in time perception to short-term experiences, such as how an engaging activity can make hours feel like minutes, or boredom can stretch minutes into an eternity. Less is known about how time distortions occur over longer periods, particularly for events that recur annually. The researchers aimed to explore whether specific psychological factors—like emotional responses to the …

The Problem With Parties | Psychology Today

The Problem With Parties | Psychology Today

Published by skeptic

‘Tis the season for holiday parties. Family parties. Friend parties. And, you guessed it, work parties! Are you excited? You may be exceptionally excited about this festive time of year, or maybe you are a bit more “meh” about the whole thing. That’s because there are several kinds of party people. We, as researchers, are interested in happiness, so partying (i.e., bringing people together to socialize) should be right up our alley. Except it’s not. And that’s because parties aren’t for everyone. The “pro-party” crowd is excited for boisterous fun in noisy places with longtime friends and acquaintances, new people, and endless appetizers. The “party passers” think all that sounds like a bit much—a quiet night at home would be way more enjoyable. These two types of party people have vastly different personalities, and the degree to which you are extraverted or introverted plays a major role in which camp you identify with. The extraverts are outgoing, sociable, energetic, optimistic, and willing to take on leadership roles because they are confident. Extraverts are said to …

The psychology of falling in love quickly

The psychology of falling in love quickly

Published by José

A recent paper in Personality and Individual Differences argues that the concept of “emophilia”—the tendency to fall in love both quickly and often—deserves greater attention in psychology and relationship studies. Written by Daniel Jones, an associate professor at the University of Nevada Reno, the paper highlights emophilia as a distinct trait that influences how people approach romantic relationships. Emophilia, first introduced by Jones in 2011, describes a pattern of seeking out and thriving on the emotional high of falling in love. Unlike those driven by a deep need for connection or fear of loneliness, people high in emophilia are motivated by the excitement, novelty, and euphoria of new romantic connections. They are more likely to develop intense feelings for a romantic partner very quickly and often experience these emotions repeatedly with different people. Emophilia isn’t inherently negative. It represents a natural variation in how people experience romantic attraction. However, it may come with specific risks. “Some of my early research interests surrounded relationships, infidelity, and jealousy. I especially felt that not enough attention had been …

Psychology Says There’s 4 Commonly Repeated Habits Of Perpetually Single People | Mary Jo Rapini

Psychology Says There’s 4 Commonly Repeated Habits Of Perpetually Single People | Mary Jo Rapini

Published by skeptic

More and more, I am surrounded by women over 35 years of age who want to get married but cannot find a suitable partner. They have heard the best places to go for singles over 35, have been set up on numerous blind dates, have joined online dating, and still don’t have a ring on their finger.  These women are educated, have great jobs, and great homes, are gorgeous, and would make the perfect wives. So what’s really wrong? Here are four commonly repeated habits of perpetually single people: 1. Life has taught them to be critical Men are emotional beings just as women are. They enjoy being intimate, but they want to build a life with women who are kind and loving. According to a survey by the University of Göttingen, most men want to be with a woman who’s kind. Men like a confident woman who is capable of loving herself and others. Men do not like mean women. If a man is drawn to a mean woman, it says more about his family of origin …